Truss.



L. A. SMITH.

TRUSS.

APPUCATION FILED MAR.4. x918.

mwma. Patented. Feb.18,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L. A. SMITH.

TRUSS.

APPLICATIOrv l FILED MAW 1. 1918.

1,294,963,. Patented Feb.18,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- L. A. SMITH.

TRUSS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4. I918- Patent ed Feb. 18, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

www

m: NBREIS PETCRS cc.. PNOYO-LIrHD. vmsnmcmm n. cy

pad onthe spring or the connecting screw. The upper end of .the curvilinear spring portion 4 merges into a loop 11, and said loop 11' merges, in turn, into a depending arm 12 which inthe spring for the right sideis bent upon itself to-form a loop and is then carried downwardly and ends in a generally circular loop let, Fig. 2.

The strap 8 described as connected at one I .endtothepad- 1, is connected at 1ts opposite end to the loop 13, and is designed to-pass i around the side of the hip ofthe wearer.

This-strap accommodates itself to the shape of the body between the depending arm- 12 of the spring 3-and the pad land exerts'a pull counter to that exerted by the body straps from where said straps, which are numbered 15, are-connected to the spring to where they are connected through the mediumof an apertured tab16 to a protuberance 17 011 the pad. Said strap 8 also prevents the lower of the body straps from pulling the lower end of, the depending arm 12 around. too far toward thecenter of the .back of thepatients body. From this it follows that itis feasible to have the spring light andflexible and consequentlyeasy to wear; also, that all thepressure can be proupon to afford the pressure necessary duced that a patient can bear, though the shape of the pad where it is designed to rest at the internal ring and on the inguinal canal is suchthat it holds with minimum pressure and. is very comfortable.

As before stated the spring 3 is not relied hold the rupture. On the other hand, the body straps 15 pulling over and exerting inward pressure on the padvedge 2 i. -e., pressure toward the body of the patient, serve tov materially support the pad and to press the same against the body of the I patient.

' At this point I would have it understood that my novel pad 1 may be used for a right side truss or for a left side truss; it being feasible toso. use the pad as the socket 10 Fig. 7, is in the vertical center of the pad and opposite thepad portion 1.

20, Figs. 1 and5, is a spreader designed and adapted to maintain the body straps 15 m: spaced relation where they pass around the hip opposite'to the one upon which the a spring 3 rests; The said spreader may be adjustable upon thebody straps in the discretion of the manufacturer without afiecting myhinvention; the type shown being adjustable by reason of its loops on the body straps15. The practical advantage of the tion of spring 0.

7 said spreader will be fully appreciated when it is stated that in order to hold a hernia with the least possible pressure it is necessary to place the lower strap 15 quite 1on1 where it passes around the back portion of the body or buttocks, and if the straps are not held apart as stated there is a tendency for the lower strap to creep upwardly with the result that its efficiency is seriously diminished.

7 In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 I clearly illustrate the leather covering 30 of the curvilinear por- The said covering comprises inner and outer thicknesses, the intermediate portions of which are disposed at the inner side of the curved spring portion. At a point adjacent to the rear end of the leather covering an aperture 31 is provided through both thicknesses of leather, Figs. 1 and 3, while at 32 an aperture is provided in the outer thickness of leather alone for the passage of the spring and the attachment of the forward end of the leather covering to the spring, the forward end of the inner thickness of leather resting at that point between the spring and the body of the wearer with a view topromoting comfort. This will be understood by comparison of Figs. 1 and 2. The aperture 31 is for the passage of the upper body strap 15, 95 which is connected to a buckle 40, and it will bemanifest that the said arrangement prevents the leather which forms a cushion under the buckle from being pulled out of place and turning under incidental to the 100 putting on of the truss. and at the same time the leather covering is enabled to steady the strap 15 and prevent it from shaking loose in the buckle. To connect the buckle $0 I cut the outer thickness of leather and turn it 5 back from the aperture 31, and secure it through the medium of a rivet 11, and by so doing I not only save leather in the fastening of the buckle but provide a covering having one less thickness than would be 10 the case were a separate piece of leather employed in the attachment of the buckle.

It will be noted here that by disposing the two thicknesses of leather between the spring and the body except at the ends I provide 5 an adequate cushion between the spring and the hip of the wearer, and this with thin .leather which tends to lessen the cost of the the neat appearance ing 80 in the same manner that the buckle 10 is connected with covering 30, while the lower body strap 15 is arranged in relation to the covering 30 in the same manner that the upper strap 15 is arranged relative to 186 the upper covering 30 and its complementary buckle. At 32 the covering 30 has an aperture in its outer thickness for the passage of the spring.

removing the body straps l5 and proriding a left side truss such as shown in. Fig. 8 in combination. with the right side truss, and connecting the two trusses through the medium of back straps 15 and a front connection 50, Figs. 8 to 10, I provide a double truss of high efficiency. The said connection 50 is made up of an apertured strap member 51 for connection to the pad of the left side truss, and an apertured member 52 for connection to the pad of the right side truss; the said member 52 comprising two thicknesses of leather and equipped with a buckle 40" and having said buckle connected with the leather alone in the same manner as the buckles 40 and 40, and being adapted to receive the strap member 51 in the same manner as described with reference to the connection of the body straps 15 to the spring 3 of the right side truss. It will be noticed by reference to Fig. 9 that provision is made for convenient adjustment of theconnection 50; also, that the leather 52 is comparatively wide to prevent the edges of the buckle contacting with the abdomen of the patient, and that with the connection 50 any desired adjustment may be obtained.

It will be noticed by reference to Fig. 8 that the spring 12 at the left side of the truss is provided with a kink 13" in lieu of the loop 13 of spring 12. The loop 13 is superior to the kink 13 in that it is adapted to more certainly hold the strap 8 against vertical shifting, as is essential, and I would therefore have it understood that the left-side spring may be of the same construction as the spring 12, without affecting my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s:

1. In a truss, the combination of a spring having a curvilinear arm and a depending arm on the rear portion of the curvilinear arm, a pad on the forward portion of the curvilinear arm, straps connected to the upper and lower portions of the depending arm, and a strap interposed between and connected to the pad and an intermediate portion of the depending arm of the spring.

2. In a truss, the combination of a spring 3. In a truss, the combination of a spring terminating at its rear portion with a depending arm and at its front portion with a circular member secured to the rear face of a pad, a leather covering comprising two thicknesses the outer of which receives the spring and both of which are apertured for the passage of a strap, and a buckle attached to the covering at the outside thereof.

4. In a truss, the combination of a spring, a leather covering comprising two thicknesses the outer of which alone receives the spring and both of which are apertured for the passage of a strap, and the outer of which is cut from said aperture to form a loop which receives the spring and is attached to the major portion of the covering, and abuckle disposed at the outer side of the covering and held in the said loop thereof.

5. In a truss, the combination of a spring having a curvilinear arm and a depending arm on the rear portion of the curvilinear arm, a pad on the forward portion of the curvilinear arm, upper and lower straps connected to the rear portion of the spring,

and a strap interposed between and connect ed to the pad and the arm of the spring.

6. Ina truss, the combination of a spring having a curvilinear arm and a depending arm on the rear portion of the curvilinear arm, a pad on the forward portion of the curvilinear arm, upper and lower straps connected to the rear portion of the spring, a strap interposed between and connected to the pad and the arm of the spring, and a stretcher interposed between and connected to the upper and lower straps.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LUCIUS ANTON SMITH.

Witnesses:

F. J. FEDERLIEN, RICHARD GRIFFITHS, J r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

